From Zhang Huai's perspective, he naturally didn't want to leave like this.
After all, the land and properties he had in hand were not something that could be disposed of in a short time.
Moreover, the grain he currently held was also a large sum of money.
Was it really worth it to abandon such a large fortune and flee for his life?
"Have you thought it through? We are all in the same boat. After he dies, who among you can escape the pursuit of the imperial court?"
Zhou Ding sneered and then looked at the two of them.
It had to be said that his words carried great deterrence.
If Han Mo died, none of them could escape responsibility.
But if Han Mo didn't die, and Zhou Ding was defeated and captured, could they still escape?
"When a man dies, birds fly to the sky! I'm in!"
Zhang Huai gritted his teeth and finally agreed.
"Are you really going to do it?"
Li Chong's mouth twitched, and he asked in a low voice.
"You don't have to do it!"
Seeing Zhang Huai's cold gaze, Li Chong swallowed hard.
"I, I was just asking..."
Li Chong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly added.
"Since we're going to do it, we need to plan it carefully!"
Zhang Huai gave Li Chong a deep look and lowered his voice again.
After just a brief moment of planning, all three felt their hearts grow weak. Without Lü Ying, they felt somewhat constrained.
After all, although those archers were not particularly good, they were still much better than their household guards.
However, at this point, it was too late for them to regret it.
...
While the three were busy with their plans, Han Mo also received the news.
"Are you sure all three of them returned to Zhang Huai's residence?"
Han Mo looked at Jiang Yan thoughtfully.
"Young master, I saw it with my own eyes! Those two are still here. They are probably having a secret talk right now! Should I..."
Jiang Yan said earnestly.
"You go tend to your own business. There's no need to alert them. Just keep a close eye on Li Chong!"
"Li Chong? Isn't he just a minor nobody?"
Jiang Yan whispered.
"That's right, he is indeed a minor nobody. Moreover, this kid is lustful and cowardly, but if the three of them are plotting something big, whether it's Zhou Ding or Zhang Huai, they will definitely have this kid go out to charge forward!"
"And if something goes wrong, he'll be the scapegoat?"
Jiang Yan's eyes lit up.
"Exactly, that's the idea. If I'm not mistaken, they might make a move tonight!"
Generosity is hard to part with. Han Mo originally thought they would need more pressure before they would harbor ill intentions, but he didn't expect them to start plotting so directly!
"Don't worry, young master, he can't escape my grasp!"
Compared to the cunning Zhang Huai, Li Chong, the registrar, was undoubtedly much simpler.
This kid had no chance of escape in front of an old hand like Jiang Yan.
"Keep a close eye on him. Where he goes, whom he meets, make sure you track it all! If he dares to head towards Lijiazhuang, then arrest him on the road!"
Although Han Mo had foreseen the possibility of clashing with Li Mao'er and his ilk before coming here, it was definitely not now.
Although he only had about three thousand rabble at his disposal, all the troops Han Mo could mobilize now did not exceed a thousand men.
And among them, only the hundred men from the Imperial Guard and the thirty dead soldiers by his side could be absolutely trusted.
As for the rest, they might be able to win in a favorable situation, but if they were to fight any tough battles, there was no hope.
"Yes!"
After Jiang Yan responded, he walked out of the room.
In the spacious study, Han Mo was alone again. Looking at the map of Neihuang County before him, Han Mo's brow furrowed once more.
Did he really have to take a risk this time?
No, there had to be another way!
Han Mo took a deep breath and temporarily set aside this unreliable idea.
After all, this was his first assignment after entering officialdom, and it would directly determine the future of his political career.
If it were not absolutely necessary, Han Mo would not want to take such a risk.
Night slowly descended, and the entire county town of Neihuang County fell silent once more.
Unlike Bianliang City, Neihuang County town closed its gates at night.
Once the city gates were closed, it was forbidden to wander around the nearby streets.
Any night wanderers without a legitimate reason would be thrown into prison!
Of course, such rules were always made for ordinary people.
Even though Zhou Ding was only a ninth-rank county assistant, he was still a person of some standing in Neihuang County.
"Sir, I just saw County Assistant Zhou sneaking out of the city!"
Having narrowly escaped with his life, Lü Ying had been diligently managing his affairs every day for the past few days.
He never delegated the duty of night patrol to others. For several consecutive days, he would bring his trusted subordinates and patrol the city punctually in the late night.
"Did you see him clearly?"
Lü Ying's whole body trembled. Leaving the city at this time, one could guess what this guy was up to with their eyes closed.
"He's just County Assistant Zhou. We see each other face to face every day, how could we mistake him?"
"Which way did he leave the city? How long ago? How many people did he bring?"
"He left from the east. Today, instead of taking a carriage, he rode out of the city with a few family members. It's been less than a quarter of an hour!"
"Someone, go after him immediately!"
With the situation almost at its climax, what else could this old fellow be doing sneaking out of the city?
Lü Ying immediately realized that this was a good opportunity to earn merit!
"They all left on horseback. Should we go after him now?"
The patrolling soldiers were all dumbfounded.
"Why are you talking nonsense? If that old fellow gets away, all of us will lose our heads!"
Lü Ying said, while fiercely whipping the other man's calf.
"Yes!"
The soldiers who were a bit slack suddenly became serious.
They had been following Lü Ying for so long, and they had never seen him so anxious.
Without further ado, several of them immediately had horses brought, and they galloped towards the east gate.
"Send someone to immediately inform the County Magistrate of this news!"
Before leaving the city, Lü Ying hesitated for a moment and shouted to the soldiers at the city gate.